Gary Fineout

Uthmeier addresses firearm policy

Fla's new attorney general explains his decision to break with former AG Ashley Moody and not defend Fla gun laws ... which allowed open carry to become the law in the state ... More here ... www.politico.com/newsletters/...

POLITICO Pro: Florida gets more than $600M from FEMA for Alligator Alcatraz, other detention sites A spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed Florida had received a “full reimbursement” of $608 million that it had sought to pay for the state’s immigration enforcement effor...

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

Trump-endorsed Donalds may soon have a new ‘26 rival: Florida’s LG Jay Collins said that if he runs for governor, he would be willing to consider first lady Casey DeSantis — whom he called “brilliant” and “hard working” — as a possible running mate.

ICYMI ... www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

Explaining Florida’s red wave

A new academic study on the "Free State of Florida" looked at the growing GOP edge in voter registration .. Researchers looked at voters aged 25 and up who moved in during the DeSantis years. They found a majority registered GOP ... More here ... www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Rep. Cory Mills faces ex-girlfriend in Florida hearing over restraining order request A Republican state committeewoman from Columbia County is seeking a restraining order against Mills, who has denied any wrongdoing.

Earlier today there was a hearing in Lake City regarding Rep. Cory Mills www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

Fla @SenRickScott - former GOP gov - says the state doesn't need to wipe out its immunization requirements. "Florida already has a good system that allows families to opt out based on religious and personal beliefs, which balances our children's health and parents' rights."

ICYMI ...

Trump's Florida man for RNC chair officially takes the role The elevation of the GOP state senator who once chaired the Republican Party of Florida was never in doubt after Trump hand-picked him for the job.

Meanwhile in Atlanta www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

Mapping out the future of redistricting

Helped with this morning's Fla Playbook ... www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Republicans quietly fret about ‘disturbing’ Cory Mills allegations So long as national party operatives view the Florida lawmaker’s seat as safe, there is little incentive for GOP leaders to engage.

Rep. Cory Mills is facing accusations that he benefited from federal contracts while in office, assaulted a past girlfriend and threatened another ex with the release of nude videos.

So far, the allegations have not translated into any effort to sideline the two-term Florida Republican.

GOP Rep. Mills accused of threatening to release nude videos of ex-girlfriend Lindsey Langston, winner of the 2024 Miss United States contest, filed a police report in Florida. Mills denied wrongdoing.

www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

For your radar ... subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

DeSantis says a census redo could be in works amid state redistricting wars The Republican governor said the last U.S. census was "flawed" and a new one would benefit Florida.

Regarding DeSantis redistricting push www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

POLITICO Pro: Federal judge in 'Alligator Alcatraz' lawsuit pushes back against state arguments for moving case Judge Kathleen Williams didn't make a ruling on arguments about where the environmental lawsuit on the immigration detention center in the Everglades should be heard.

Federal judge in 'Alligator Alcatraz' lawsuit pushes back against state arguments for moving case.

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

In boon for House GOP, Florida Supreme Court sides with DeSantis, upholds congressional map DeSantis, in a social media post, said that "this was always the constitutionally correct map — and now both the federal courts and the FL Supreme Court have upheld it."

The Florida Supreme Court upheld the state’s congressional map, delivering a win to DeSantis, who pushed through the changes that helped Republicans flip and maintain the House majority.

New Trump-DeSantis proxy war launches over key Florida job The governor declined to pick a Trump ally for a Cabinet job in Florida, setting up a GOP primary showdown.

DeSantis has appointed one of his loyalists to a Florida Cabinet position rather than select a Trump-endorsed candidate, lighting a fuse in the MAGA World.

Blaise-ing into the CFO job

Fla. Gov. DeSantis today will appoint state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia to the post of chief financial officer ... the job has been vacant for months. DeSantis tapped a long-time ally instead of state Sen. Joe Gruters, who had already been endorsed by Trump www.politico.com/newsletters/...

The Fla. Supreme Court has punted the lawsuit filed by state legislators over Alligator Alcatraz to a lower court. It says the "transfer of this case should be not construed as an adjudication or comment on the merits of the petition..." Legislators sued to gain access to the center

He was DeSantis’ ‘bulldog.’ Will Trump help Florida’s attorney general stick around? James Uthmeier's path forward may hinge on whether he can turn accolades from Trump into an endorsement for 2026.

About Florida's new attorney general ... www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

In a statement the lawmakers said the refusal to let them into facility "wasn't some bureaucratic misstep. It was a deliberate obstruction meant to hide what's really happening. There is no statute that permits the governor to overrule the Legislature's oversight authority."

5 Democratic state legislators filed a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court contending that Gov. DeSantis
& Fla. Division of Emergency Management exceeded their authority by blocking access to Alligator Alcatraz last week - They are being represented by 2 legislators/attorneys

POLITICO Pro: Over 2,000 senior staff set to leave NASA under agency push The losses could endanger the administration’s plans for landing astronauts on the moon and Mars.

More than 300 were working at Kennedy Space Center in Florida subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

POLITICO Pro: Federal judge blocks parts of new Florida ballot initiative law The judge, however, denied a request made by campaign groups to stop provisions with identification and registration requirements for volunteers.

Fla judge blocks part of new ballot initiatives law subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

ACLU attorney Nicholas Warren - @nlvwarren.bsky.social: "The governor's failure to comply with this clear constitutional deadline is just another example of him flouting our Constitution's clear mandates. We're suing yet again to make him do the job he was elected to do."

Meanwhile, the ACLU of Florida filed a lawsuit today that asks SCOFLA to order Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill a Tallahassee-area judgeship. The main plaintiff is a local attorney interested in running for the position. The lawsuit suggests DeSantis missed the appt deadline to avoid an election ...

Republican donors and Florida's hurricane know-how helped build 'Alligator Alcatraz' so quickly Florida has converted an isolated airport in the Everglades into a massive immigration detention center called "Alligator Alcatraz."

Today’s story: Republican donors and Florida's hurricane know-how helped build 'Alligator Alcatraz' so quickly

apnews.com/article/alli...

Lastly, the declaration from the FEMA official in the court filing says that "costs for constructing new, permanent buildings are not allowable" under the grant program that Fla hopes to access to pay it back for the detention center

DHS court filing states Fla has a 287 (g) agreement with ICE & "any decision to detain aliens... would be Florida's decision, not DHS's."

DHS told press outlets it signed off on a plan to create detention centers in Fla submitted it to by Fla & that funding would come from a FEMA grant program. A top FEMA official says in court filing that there is money available but Fla has not yet applied for $ & isn't approved

In a court filing this a.m. the Department of Homeland Security states it has "not implemented, authorized, directed or funded" the Everglades detention center aka "Alligator Alcatraz." "Florida is constructing and operating the facility using state funds on state lands..."